Author: Emporium Reporters

Agada takes charge as Senate Clerk after NASC ratification

Emporium Reporters

The National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) has ratified the appointment of Emmanuel Rawlings Agada as the substantive Clerk of the Senate. The confirmation was made at the Commission’s 7th meeting on August 6, 2025, and communicated in a letter signed by its Chairman, Chief Saviour Enyiekere. Agada, who previously served as Deputy Clerk of the Senate (Legislative), stepped in as Acting Clerk following the suspension of Andrew Nwoba. His performance in steering plenary sessions and guiding legislative processes won him the confidence of the Senate under the leadership of Senate…

Niger State reduces Bed fees at Suleja General Hospital, warns staff against extortion

Emporium Reporters

The Niger State Hospital Management Board has announced a downward review of hospital bed charges at General Hospital Suleja as part of efforts to ease the financial burden on patients. In a circular titled “Reduction of Bed Fees” and dated August 11, 2025, the hospital authority directed all staff to strictly adhere to the new charges while warning against extortion. Under the new policy, general ward fees have been reduced to N2,000 for 10 days, replacing the previous N500 daily rate. Similarly, amenity ward fees are now N1,000 per day,…

If You Want Peace, Work For Justice! By Imam Murtadha Gusau-Okene

Emporium Reporters

In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation, may Allah extol the mention of our noble Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in the highest company of Angels, bless him and give him peace and security―and his family, his Companions and all those who follow him correctly until the establishment of the Hour. Dear brothers and sisters! The idea that “justice brings peace” is a well-established concept, often articulated as “if you want peace, work for…

Nigeria, WTO chart path for Trade-Led growth ,inclusive development

Emporium Reporters

By Bola Bakare   In a significant step towards boosting Nigeria’s economic prospects, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Monday met with the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, at his office in Abuja to advance a shared agenda for trade-led growth, investment, and inclusive development.   During the meeting, Edun underscored Nigeria’s recent macroeconomic gains, citing a stronger naira, easing inflation, and ratings upgrades from Fitch and Moody’s as critical foundations for sustained growth. He highlighted…

APC and lessons from Oyo by-election By Lasisi Olagunju

Emporium Reporters

The Cambridge English dictionary defines ‘carcass’ as “the body of a dead animal, especially a large one.” The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was recently described as “a carcass” by one of its former governors, Mr Ayodele Fayose. Yet, that carcass defeated the reigning lion, the APC, in a decisive election in Oyo State at the weekend. PDP was dead; PDP is not dead. If I were the APC presidency, I would accept this reality as a divine warning. I would go back to work; I would talk and scheme less,…

Nigeria’s Mining Sector: A Magnet for Questionable International Operators and Domestic Chaos by Steven Kefas

Emporium Reporters

Nigeria sits atop an estimated $750 billion worth of mineral reserves scattered across its 36 states, representing one of Africa’s most promising mining frontiers. With the government’s ambitious drive to diversify the economy beyond oil dependency, the solid minerals sector should be a cornerstone of national prosperity. Instead, it has become a testament to how regulatory negligence, endemic corruption and the dangerous prioritization of foreign investment over due diligence can transform economic opportunity into national crisis. The story of Colin Ikin perfectly encapsulates Nigeria’s mining predicament. The Australian executive is…

“I Surrender All”: Rev. Dr. Babatunde Idowu’s Birthday Sermon Challenges Believers to Align Their Lives with God’s Eternal Purpose

Emporium Reporters

By Dr. Afolabi Olajuwon   Worshippers at Foursquare Gospel Church, Wuse District Headquarters, Abuja, experienced a deeply moving service on Sunday as Rev. Dr. Babatunde Idowu delivered a powerful sermon titled “Planted By The Waters.” The message, which tied into the church’s August theme, coincided with Rev. Dr. Babatunde Idowu’s birthday, making the gathering both celebratory and spiritually charged.   The service opened with joyful praise led by the church choir, preparing hearts for the Word. Rev. Dr. Idowu’s sermon, rooted in Psalm 1:1–6, Jeremiah 18:1–6, and Isaiah 55:1–11, combined…

You be terrorist, I no be terrorist! By Festus Adedayo

Emporium Reporters

When the weight of words spoken is weightier than whatever response it may attract, my people say Oro p’esi je. The English say such wordless period is an ineffable moment. In its literal rendition, perhaps saying it better than the English and more graphically too, the Yoruba say ‘word has killed response’. Even at the height of his musical wizardry, the dictatorship of the Nigerian military government killed appropriate response from Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. So, in one of his songs, Fela turned the wordlessness into musical rhapsody. With the declaration by…

AI as the new indolence, that Netanyahu call, Salah’s tweet and our Kwam mentality (1), by Hassan Gimba

Emporium Reporters

In the past year or so, I have become a sad man. I feel sorry for myself, as I cannot do much to stem the tide. I also feel sad for our youth, who are daily ensnared by the ravaging trend. But I am more distressed for Nigeria, my country, for breeding such youth. We are mortgaging our country’s future by sacrificing our youth’s intellectual growth to Artificial Intelligence, AI. I recall our growing days with nostalgia. I started reading my senior sisters’ novels, the Mills and Boon series, and…

Komolafe: Five years and a timeless memory By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Emporium Reporters

Five years ago, a rare breed of man departed this world, leaving behind a void that nobody has been able to fill. On August 11, 2020, my beloved father and confidant, Sunday Alaba Komolafe, bid this mortal coil a final farewell. He was 92! Reflecting on my father’s passing, I am reminded of his enduring legacy, which speaks to the power of genuine leadership and selflessness. His life illuminated the vast chasm between those who truly serve others and those who merely serve themselves. Baba Kayode, as he was fondly…